"Danger is cleared; all the ships of the Gray Blood Organization have been destroyed."

Upon receiving this news, Qingmu let out a sigh of relief, and the tension in Black Tiger, Old Mu, and Kite eased. They had nearly been trapped, almost turning from hunters to prey today, which was extremely perilous. Wang Xuan remained silent; he felt uneasy knowing his safety was entirely out of his control, driven by others—this was not what he wanted.

From the elder's perspective, it was understandable; they had successfully lured in their target, dealing a significant blow to the Gray Blood Organization. However, from Wang Xuan's viewpoint, any minor mishap today could have turned their ship into scrap metal, leaving no survivors.

"Are you having thoughts?" Qingmu, as a master of ancient arts, sensed Wang Xuan's low spirits. Wang Xuan did not hide his feelings: "Although the ambush was successful, as the bait, we could be devoured by the big fish at any moment, with our lives depending on luck." Black Tiger, Kite, and Old Mu remained silent but agreed with his viewpoint, having grown accustomed to such crises.

"I will report this matter to higher-ups," Qingmu said, momentarily shifting the topic. Wang Xuan contemplated silently; although the exploration organization was powerful and often gained substantial rewards, being a pawn whose fate was controlled by others left him deeply unsettled and reconsidering his involvement. He yearned for freedom in the field of ancient arts, not wanting to become a mere piece in someone else's game.

In the depths of the canyon, energy cannons continuously fired as the Gray Blood Organization's remaining forces advanced, unaware their escape route had been cut off, and their medium-sized battleship obliterated. Soon, they encountered trouble; modern high-energy weapons deep within the canyon retaliated fiercely against the invading Gray Blood forces.

It was only then they realized something was amiss. How could a burial site have so many high-tech weapons, with even more energy cannons than they possessed? Advanced robots armed with energy guns emerged, opening fire on them. The Gray Blood soldiers recognized the gravity of their situation and quickly retreated, trying to contact their base for support, but found they couldn't connect.

"Who are you? Why have you set an ambush here against us?" they shouted. The hidden forces in the canyon were furious, responding, "You attacked our underground research facility, and you dare to say we targeted you? Ridiculous!"

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, devastating the canyon. Some robots reached the frontline, unleashing energy beams while wielding alloy long knives. The fighting was brutal. Although the Gray Blood Organization had small ships nearby, they hesitated, feeling unsure how to assist amidst the chaos.

Ultimately, the Gray Blood forces panicked and began to flee, launching their ships, only to be hit before they could escape, resulting in a series of explosions. Relevant authorities stood by at a distance, while the exploration organization had been waiting for this moment; seeing the Gray Blood forces crumble and flee, they showed no mercy.

The hidden forces in the depths of the canyon quieted, realizing they were being targeted by not just one but multiple factions in the Greater Khingan Range. They had a foreboding feeling that they might not withstand this confrontation, suspecting who had arrived, and could only blame themselves for years of secretive research without reporting to the relevant departments.

However, surrendering and handing over all their research achievements was unthinkable. They decided to showcase their extraordinary findings for the upcoming negotiations. As they communicated with the opposing forces, they extracted some items from the depths—surprisingly, a golden bamboo segment with leaves, teeming with vitality. Most astonishingly, when they activated it with a certain instrument, it radiated golden light, unleashing immense supernatural power.

Instantly, nearby ships experienced interference, as if struck by a shockwave. "Is this the raw material for the golden bamboo scrolls?" Wang Xuan was captivated, unable to take his eyes off the screen showing the bamboo's leaves shimmering with golden radiance, disrupting various precision instruments.

Qingmu was astonished: "The supernatural power is released through that bamboo, and it's one-way, ensuring they themselves are not affected." What exactly lay beneath this ground? The research institute from Nova was openly showcasing such extraordinary plants.

Over the years, various organizations and consortiums from Nova had discovered four golden bamboo scrolls in the Old Land, but had never obtained a living specimen of this bamboo. Yet here it was, beneath the Greater Khingan Range?

"Boom!"

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Clearly, the higher-ups of the exploration organization and relevant departments received reports, swiftly moving to eliminate the remnants of the Gray Blood Organization before ceasing fire and engaging in negotiations with the underground research facility.

"Qingmu, you and Jinchuan accompany the relevant department personnel to the canyon to see what's really happening in the underground research facility." The elder spoke to Qingmu again, instructing him to take a few capable assistants deeper underground.

Undoubtedly, the exploration organization had maintained close ties with the relevant departments, which explained today's collaboration. Black Tiger, Kite, and Old Mu watched eagerly, all wanting to see what discoveries had come from the Nova research institute and what remarkable achievements they had made.

They knew entering now would pose no danger, as ships and high-energy weapons surrounded the canyon; the people below would be foolish to engage in combat. "Little Wang, Black Tiger, you two come with me." Qingmu disembarked from the ship first, selecting six others from various groups to follow him.

Kite and Old Mu felt slightly disappointed but understood that it was indeed necessary to choose more skilled individuals for the task. Jinchuan also approached with eight people, waiting at the canyon entrance.

Seven people from the relevant department arrived, led by a man in his forties responsible for negotiations and initial discussions, wearing black-rimmed glasses. Wang Xuan's heart skipped a beat upon seeing his profile. After hearing the elder's conversation with Qingmu earlier, he had grown suspicious—was this his old colleague?

Now, seeing this middle-aged man wearing the same type of black-rimmed glasses as his office colleague, he nearly let paranoia consume him. Fortunately, he was certain that, even if this person wore a lifelike mask, he was definitely not his colleague; his powerful intuition as a master of ancient arts reassured him.

Beside the man in glasses stood two military personnel, both masters in the field of ancient arts. The remaining four were professionals in life sciences, primarily accompanying them to observe and confirm their findings.

The canyon was devastated, and a small ship appeared, guiding them deeper into a vast cave. They exited the ship and saw the underground facilities, which were well-constructed with modern standards. The bright lights illuminated the expansive, modern atmosphere, akin to stepping inside a skyscraper.

Within, there were large living quarters and the most advanced laboratory areas. The group rode an elevator down over a hundred meters before departing the modern area and heading toward a cavern.

"This is where we made our most astonishing discovery. Since we decided to share with the Old Land, there will be no concealment..." The Nova representatives explained as they guided them.

Their organization was quite reputable in Nova, known as the "Origin" life research institute. While it might sound like a mere research entity, it spanned multiple fields with significant industry strength, capable of supporting such a massive facility in the Old Land.

At the very least, they were unafraid of mercenary organizations like the Gray Blood because the Origin Institute had sufficient defensive strength of its own.

"How did you find this place?" the man in glasses inquired. The Greater Khingan Range was dense with primitive forests, not a famed site, nor was there any myth surrounding it. Without leads, digging hundreds of meters here was either madness or folly.

A female researcher from Nova explained, "We decoded an ancient bamboo scroll from the pre-Qin era that mentioned this place. After years of exploration, we finally found it."

"What was recorded on the scroll that made it worth your pursuit?" the man in glasses asked. Wang Xuan, standing nearby, was equally intrigued by these questions.

"The scroll mentioned a female sorceress who seemed quite renowned in that era, aspiring to attain immortality. Although the scroll is damaged and the text incomplete, it mentioned this location, prompting our search." Nova had previously unearthed several damaged corpses of pre-Qin sorcerers, extracting extraordinary substances from their bones and hair, which held immense research value. With a potential sorceress aiming for immortality, their interest was piqued.

Keep in mind, the most powerful sorcerers of their time could be seen as legends, shrouded in the extraordinary, and finding their remnants was exceptionally rare. Whenever news about them emerged, even in this age of rising new techniques, it would attract significant attention from major institutions.

Moreover, the search for immortals was futile; many believed that the top pre-Qin sorcerers could very well be the legendary immortals!

"Did you find this female sorceress?" the man in glasses asked.

"We did," confirmed the female researcher accompanying him as they walked toward the cavern. She instructed her team to open the stone chamber ahead.

With a rumbling sound, the stone door opened, releasing an inexplicable aura. In fact, even before entering, Wang Xuan believed the female researcher's words. He felt a familiar sensation, as if standing in an "internal scene," capturing a glimpse of mysterious particles slowly drifting down!

Then, everyone was stunned.

Before them lay a golden bamboo, a meter in diameter, split open to form a small boat. Inside, a young woman lay, vivid and lifelike, as if she had just fallen asleep moments ago.

This woman conformed to modern beauty standards: her skin was delicate and radiant, her hair a deep black and glossy, and her features flawless, extraordinarily beautiful.

"She still has vitality!" Qingmu said with a grave expression, sounding somewhat anxious.

Even though the woman lay with her eyes closed and completely still, the faint aura she emitted made Qingmu's heart race, akin to a prey animal sensing a predator, provoking a strong sense of unease and an impulse to flee.

Wang Xuan also focused intently on the young woman in the golden bamboo boat, feeling indeed a powerful life force.

Her body showed no signs of decay, and her clothing exhibited a distinct pre-Qin style, remarkably preserved over the years, just like her body.

"Indeed, it seems her body is still alive!" the female researcher from Nova nodded solemnly.